Give and Take
by oldskoolbookworm
Summary: Elizabeth Wakefield and Tom Watts story. This one takes place in SVU. Elizabeth never got together with Sam after breaking up with Finn Robertson. This was after Elizabeth went to London but she accepted the scholarship and never met Max.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own sweet valley. No copyright infringement intended. No money is being made from this story. Thanks.

Elizabeth Watts paced the waiting room at the hospital. She had spent 18 hours on a plane from London because her husband had gotten injured at a football game against the Denver Broncos. Elizabeth had only been in London for three months at the University of London on a writing scholarship that her husband signed her up for. He was so insistent that she didn't waste the opportunity, he loved her so much. They had married before she left in July. Elizabeth had now three months of credits in the program she could now take back to SVU with her and finish her junior year.

The doctor came out and Elizabeth stopped pacing.

"Mrs Watts, your husband is stable, has a mild concussion, two broken ribs and a broken right knee" The doctor told her. Elizabeth sighed with relief, he was lucky to be alive.

"Can I see him?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.

"Yes, absolutely, right this way" The doctor answered. Elizabeth followed the doctor down the hallway.

Tom 'Wildman' Watts slowly opened his eyes and tried to move. He grimaced in pain. That line backer came out of nowhere. Tom breathed in and felt a searing pain in his ribs and closed his eyes again. Tom was more worried about his wife than himself. Tom wondered if Elizabeth had seen what happened to him. Tom felt a soft touch on his forehead and smelt the slight scent of citrusy perfume, that was his wife. Tom groaned inwardly. He stood in front of their friends and her family and promised to make her dreams come true, obviously now that wasn't the case. Tom felt a soft kiss on his forehead and tried to smile. Tom opened his dark brown eyes and stared into her aquamarine ones that looked weary and full of jetlag and worry.

"Hi beautiful" Tom murmured. "I'm not dreaming, you're really here"

Elizabeth nodded, she smiled tenderly, a special one just for him. Her eyes then filled with tears of relief.

"Hi, what were you thinking, that guy was twice your size" Elizabeth scolded him. Tom tried to shrug but couldn't. "I was so worried, I could have lost you".

"You won't lose me" Tom reassured her. He took her hand in his own and squeezed it. Elizabeth had tears in her eyes. "You came all the way from London, you look so tired"

"Yes, but you're my husband, worth it" Elizabeth told him.

"What did the doctor tell you?" Tom demanded. "Can I play football again?"

"Not without a lot of rehab and even then, there are no guarantees" Elizabeth said quietly. "You had a knee reconstruction and you've broken a couple of ribs so you won't be laughing for a while without it hurting anyway". Tom frowned, cursing silently.

"And you're heading back to London when?" Tom asked. Elizabeth shook her head.

"I'm not" Elizabeth said flatly. "I've spoken to Professor Sedder and the university of London have agreed to transfer my credits to my journalism major. I am registered back at SVU, I start classes next week after spring break". Tom's eyes shun with angry tears. He'd ruined Elizabeth's opportunity too.

"I'm sorry honey" Tom said, his voice catching with emotion.

"It would have been worse if I had lost you" Elizabeth wept. Elizabeth cupped her husband's cheeks with her hands and pressed a tender kiss on his mouth. "It doesn't matter now, only you matter to me and getting you back on your feet"

Tom clenched his fists in frustration. Elizabeth took his hand in her own and squeezed gently.

"I love you, we'll get through this together, I promise" Elizabeth kissed her husband again more lingeringly.


	2. Chapter 2

A while later…

Tom stared across at his wife, admiring how beautiful she was. Elizabeth was asleep in his arms. The team had organised a private room for him, which Tom was grateful for. Elizabeth stirred gently. Tom brushed a hair away from her forehead with one finger and pressed a kiss on it. Elizabeth smiled sleepily and snuggled closer in his arms. Tom remembered when Elizabeth told him about her scholarship offer in London….

Tom and Elizabeth had been dating happily since they got back together on Valentine's day. Tom had organised all sorts of surprises, which led Elizabeth on a scavenger hunt ending at the Mexican restaurant where he had his 21st birthday. Then Elizabeth gave him a present back at his dorm which was her. All of her. She made love with him for the first time, Tom knew her inside and out, owned her body that had only his touch. It was a week out from Tom's graduation where Tom had planned to propose to Elizabeth but before he could get the words out under the moonlight after a dinner at an expensive Italian restaurant, Elizabeth showed him the letter for the writing scholarship in London, Elizabeth had explained at the time she thought it was a long shot. Tom stared into her eyes and told her she should not pass up on the opportunity. In a small way, Tom still blamed himself for getting Elizabeth off the plane to DCIR in Denver the year before. Elizabeth had tears streaming down her cheeks, she told him she didn't want to leave him. Tom got on one knee in front of her, taking Elizabeth's hand in his own.

"Elizabeth, you are the most intelligent, beautiful, stubborn woman I have ever known, I knew the moment I met you I was meant to spent the rest of my life with you, I love you, you taught me what love really was. Elizabeth Wakefield, will you marry me?" Tom asked. Tom opened the ring box and nestled within it was the emerald ring he had brought her in his junior year, her freshman year at SVU. Elizabeth's eyes widened, she gasped in surprise.

"Tom, I thought you returned the ring" Elizabeth finally exclaimed.

"No, I kept it for today when I finally asked you again" Tom replied, smiling shyly. "Will you marry me?"

Elizabeth's eyes filled with happy tears.

"Yes Tom, I will marry you" Elizabeth answered tenderly. Tom rose from his knee and kissed Elizabeth on the mouth. He lifted her off her feet and twirled her around. Elizabeth had her arms around his neck, laughing. Tom slid the ring onto Elizabeth's finger when he placed her back on her feet and kissed her again.

"Liz, I want you to go to London…married to me" Tom told her. "We can get married over the summer before you leave". Elizabeth smiled and nodded, agreeably.

The next day…...

Tom noticed that Elizabeth hadn't put in her acceptance yet so Tom did it for her. Tom and Elizabeth had agreed she would accept the offer. Tom thought she might had forgotten. Tom scooped up his football gear and headed to the game….

Elizabeth opened her eyes and stared lovingly at her husband. She'd missed him the last three months, London was a lonely place.

"Why didn't you wake me, what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, sitting up, careful of Tom's knee and ribs.

"Nothing, just admiring you, you're my wife, I can do that you know; besides it has been three months, I've missed you so much baby" Tom replied, grinning at her. Tom reached over and brushed the hair away from Elizabeth's forehead and pressed a tender kiss on it. Elizabeth leant closer and their lips met in a lingering kiss.

"I missed you too" Elizabeth whispered "So much"

"Liz, I feel so lucky to have you back, but I feel like I ruined something wonderful for you" Tom explained.

"Sweetheart, no, you haven't. I'm so happy to be home, I don't regret it one bit" Elizabeth insisted.

"But I don't want to be the one who decides if you're happy, I don't want you to blame me" Tom admitted.

"Of course, not, I love you, I'll always be here for you" Elizabeth reassured him. "I promised you that, in sickness and in health, remember?" Elizabeth brushed a gentle kiss on his lips "I meant every word"

"So, did I, but I don't think this is what we had in mind" Tom said dryly.

"Honey, stop being so stubborn, we'll get you back on your feet I promise" Elizabeth added. Tom pulled Elizabeth back into his arms and kissed her deeply, taking in her strength and her love.


End file.
